Improving defensively huge UNC emphasis in the last week of practice

By R.L. Bynum

North Carolina’s inability to defend 3-point attempts has been an ongoing issue for a few seasons that hasn’t been solved under first-year coach Hubert Davis.

In starting the season 4–2, the Tar Heels added another layer to the defensive problems with help-side defense breaking down and some opponents enjoying layup lines and numerous easy drives to the basket.

That’s clearly not how Davis has drawn it up in practice. He’s worked on improving his team’s defense during the eight-day break leading to UNC’s home game against No. 24 Michigan (4–2) in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at 9:20 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN).

What’s been Davis’ message to the team about defense since the 72–53 home win over UNC Asheville on Nov. 23?

“I feel like just guarding the ball was one big one and just the will and want-to to be able to get defensive stops,” senior wing Leaky Black said. “Obviously, I feel like we’re all capable of guarding the ball and doing that stuff, not allowing my man to score. But it’s a matter of just getting that mindset. You’re not gonna let your man score and that’s what Coach Davis is trying to put into our heads.”

Black didn’t need that mindset hammered into his head but that’s not the case for most of the Tar Heels’ rotation. As good as Black defends, always guarding the opponent’s best player, a huge element is communication on the defensive end that also has been lacking.

“Once we get that mindset that we’re gonna lock people up, I feel like that’ll just take care of itself and you’ll start seeing how powerful we really are,” Black said.

Davis says that the coaching staff worked a lot in the last week on getting the Tar Heels better at transition defense, which he says has to be great.

“We have to have guys sprinting back,” Davis said. “We have to have guys talking and communicating. One of the things that I’ve said consistently is you sprint back, not with a sense of urgency but with a sense of emergency.”

Once in the half-court, he wants them better at defending inside, guarding the ball and containing drives.

“I feel like we’ve gotten better,” Davis said of the defensive progress during the last week of practice. “I feel like we’ve gotten back to our foundation principles on talking on defense, being in the right position, communicating team defense — all the things we had talked about in preseason. For whatever reason, in Connecticut we really struggled with that.”

The defensive numbers through six games aren’t pretty.

UNC ranks 356th in the country, according to barttorvik.com, in creating turnovers on only 11.6% of their possessions (down from 19.0% and 152nd last season). Only Northern Iowa (10.9) and The Citadel (9.9) are worse.

Davis’ defensive philosophy to allow no layups, dunks or open 3-point attempts hasn’t connected with his team’s performance.

“Don’t put them on the free-throw line, and make them make at least two passes or more so our defense can get set and is in a position where you can guard to actions,” Davis said, explaining what he tells his team. “That’s something that we require of all of our guys because they’re talented enough and able to do it.”

The best evidence that the opponents are getting easy shots is that they’re shooting 51.2% on two-point attempts, which is 228th in the country (compared to 47% and 78th last season).

Davis has emphasized that every player on the court, regardless of size, should be able to guard players of different sizes and guard various actions. It has worked out in games some, but not consistently.

“They’re athletic enough, skilled enough to be able to be in position to help but also be able to close out and contest threes, and that’s expected of them,” Davis said. “And it’s expected of them because they’re talented enough and knowledgeable enough and smart enough to be able to do that.”

If all five on the court defended like Black, those defensive issues would be solved. As Carolina’s defensive stopper, Black’s goal is to make his man uncomfortable.

“Offense pretty much is about confidence and I feel like once you take somebody’s confidence, that’s pretty much half the battle,” Black said. “They’re not gonna want to do anything else. They’re gonna start second-guessing themselves and then you can start making them uncomfortable. It’s like a little mind game with myself and I just feel like I know how to make people uncomfortable.”

The Tar Heels will find out this week against Michigan on Wednesday night and at Georgia Tech in their ACC opener on Sunday how much progress they are making on defense.

UNC season statistics

Date	Score, record/day, time, TV	Location	Opponent
	November (4–2)
5	83–55 exhibition win	Home	Elizabeth City State
9	83–67 win, 1–0	Home	Loyola Maryland
12	94–87 win, 2–0	Home	Brown
16	94–83 win, 3–0	Road	College of Charleston
20	93–84 loss, 3–1	Uncasville, Conn.	Y — No. 2 Purdue
21	89–72 loss, 3-2	Uncasville, Conn.	Y — No. 13 Tennessee
23	72–53 win, 4-2	Home	UNC Asheville
	December
1	Wednesday, 9:20, ESPN	Home	X — No. 24 Michigan
5	Sunday, 3, ESPN	Road	Georgia Tech
11	Saturday, 8, ACCN	Home	Elon
14	Tuesday, 7, ESPN2	Home	Furman
18	Saturday, 3, CBS	Las Vegas	Z — No. 5 UCLA
21	Tuesday, 7, ACCN	Home	Appalachian State
29	Wednesday, 7, ESPN2	Home	Virginia Tech
	January
1	Saturday, noon, ACCN	Road	Boston College
5	Wednesday, 9, ESPN2	Road	Notre Dame
8	Saturday, 1, ESPN	Home	Virginia
15	Saturday, 8, ACCN	Home	Georgia Tech
18	Tuesday, TBA, ESPN	Road	Miami
22	Saturday, 8, ACCN	Road	Wake Forest
26	Wednesday, RSN	Home	Boston College
29	Saturday, 2, ACCN	Home	N.C. State
31	Monday, 7, ESPN	Road	Louisville
	February
5	Saturday, 6, ESPN	Home	No. 1 Duke
8	Tuesday, 9, ESPN or ESPN2	Road	Clemson
12	Saturday, 2, ESPN or ESPN2	Home	Florida State
16	Wednesday, 8, ACCN	Home	Pittsburgh
19	Saturday, 4, ESPN or ESPN2	Road	Virginia Tech
21	Monday, 7, ESPN	Home	Louisville
26	Saturday, 2 or 4, ESPN or ESPN2	Road	N.C. State
28	Monday, 7, ESPN	Home	Syracuse
	March
5	Saturday, 6, ESPN	Road	No. 1 Duke
8– 12	ACC Tournament	Brooklyn